Sunset
by chashkieh
Summary: They were at a beach house in Malibu for a case; his last apparently, after handing over his resignation letter to the new lieutenant who approved it without hesitation.


Lucifer's latest case with the Detective turned up in a Malibu beach house and he was less giddy about it. Not because he didn't like the beach, but it's more of a reminder that his time as a civilian consultant was drawing to a close. Earlier that day, the new lieutenant approved his resignation right off the bat, yet gave him one more assignment with Decker.

The devil wanted his exit to be as inconspicuous as possible, opposite to what he was famous for. He wasn't gonna throw a party to celebrate parting with his detective because if he did have a say in the matter, he would have kept her in the loop.

Lucifer stood by the pier's walkway and leaned on the railings as he looked over the horizon at dusk. He was deep in thoughts, oblivious of the person beside him until she made herself known.

"When were you going to tell me?" Chloe cleared her throat and mirrored the civilian consultant's position, eyes focused on the sunset.

"After we solve the murder, of course," He confessed. "You beat me to it, as usual. That or someone's a little chatty."

Lucifer didn't perceive Lieutenant Pierce as effusive but he could be wrong.

"Nah, call it a gut feeling. The way you let me handle everything, helping in as little as possible. Less consulting, no throttling, less impulsive. You were so… What's the term? Restrained? Well-behaved? It felt like you were a completely different person."

"Oh?" The devil lifted a brow. "Wasn't I always in my best behavior?" It was a rhetorical question, but Chloe snorted nonetheless. He sighed and continued. "I thought I was subtle enough."

"You were never one for subtlety, Lucifer."

"Hmm, that's true." He bobbed his head in agreement. The more important question hung in the air and he knew she would demand an answer.

"Why?"

There it was, the question Lucifer had about a million response to, half-truths to some extent.

"Well, for one, I don't belong there. I'm a club-owner for crying out loud. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'll do more than well without me being a constant thorn in your side."

Satan slapped himself mentally for that half-baked explanation. She definitely would not have any of that.

"What do you mean you don't belong? Everyone likes you, heck, they like you more than anything. And I told you, you make me a better detective. You _made_ me a better detective." She insisted.

"Indeed. I helped you loosen up a bit, live a little. Mission accomplished."

"Come on, Lucifer. Why?" Chloe prodded. If she has to squeeze it out of him, she would.

Lucifer heaved a sigh and replied, refusing to meet her eyes.

"It's because I'm holding you back," He paused and finally turned to face her. "I...have served my purpose, at the very least. I assure you, you're better off without me hounding you all the time. You are very good at what you do, and...I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to be a burden to you, or to anyone."

"That's ridiculous." The detective shook her head in frustration.

"Of course you'd say that."

"Lucifer," She warned. The devil discerned that the detective was at her tolerance limit for bullshit. He was almost certain she'd spare him an entire clip from her service weapon and it terrified him a bit.

"I need to work on my own issues, Detective." Lucifer tried again. This statement seemed closer to the truth, he surmised.

"Right." Chloe raised a skeptical brow. What's the point in trying to convince him anyway?

"I know you don't believe me, and that's fine, for now. I need this break to get back what they stole from me. Something important. Something that made me who I am today."

"Now you're not making any sense." She muttered, but he wasn't done talking.

"Much as I'd like to show you the _other_ proof that I am what I say I am, the thing is, it's not me anymore."

"I don't understand." The blonde's ever-growing frustration over her partner reflected on her voice.

"I know you don't. But once I regain what I lost, I will come to you, I swear. In the meantime, I implore you to trust me…" _And I'm doing this to protect you._

Deeming it futile, her shoulders sagged in defeat. Chloe knew he had made up his mind and there was nothing she could do but let him be. With all the craziness he had shown several cases prior, trusting him proved to be difficult, yet she gave him an approving nod.

 _Sometimes you just gotta take a leap of faith._

Ella's words echoed in Chloe's mind.

"Will I see you around?"

"Not that often. Aren't you a bit happy that I won't pester you as much?" Lucifer flashed a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"It's become a habit. Solving crimes would be less fun when you're not around."

"Aaaw. So you'll miss me then, Detective." It was more of a statement rather than an inquiry, yet it took him by surprise that she, dare he say, humored him.

"Yes." She answered straightaway. "It will be dull without you smoking evidence or almost soiling the crime scene, but do whatever you need to do."

Lucifer chuckled, replied in a more serious tone.

"It's going to take some time, and I may or may not come out of it unscathed." Chloe scowled at him, lost once more.

 _The important thing for me is to make sure that I have all their attention. Me alone, and not to the people I care about...that means you, Detective. Especially you._

The devil wanted to say it out loud, but that would only bring more questions.

"I encourage you to indulge me a little longer. Please."

"Alright." To Lucifer, it didn't sound like he'd been able to convince her, but at least he's grateful she had put up with him.

"So this is where we part, Detective." The former civilian consultant straightened up and held her gaze. He wanted to savor the moment as though he may not have the chance again.

"So soon?"

"Afraid so."

"Thanks for letting me know this time around."

"I owe you this much, I suppose. Well then," He clapped his hands, "good night, Detective."

"Yeah."

Lucifer tucked both hands in each pocket and turned away from Chloe, towards his Corvette. Suddenly, arms wound up to his midsection and made him stop in his tracks.

The pressure made his breathing hitch a little. An unexpected gesture indeed, but he paid it back by placing his own on top of her forearms.

The devil couldn't help himself any longer. He released her arms and faced her, giving her a proper embrace. Her whole body molded into his perfectly as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Why do you always have to make things difficult for me, Detective?"

Chloe held on tighter. Even though she trusted him, there's this uncertainty she couldn't shake off. It was like at this moment, he was saying goodbye for good despite his reassurance. He makes good on his promises, sure, but something about this didn't feel right, to her at least.

"Chloe, please." Lucifer pleaded.

Despite her inner protests, she lets go after hearing him say her name. Because that's what he needed her to do.

"Sorry," She sniffed. "I don't know why I did that. Carry on. It has been a pleasure working with you, Mr. Morningstar." This time, she offered her hand and he shook it.

"Pleasure's all mine, Detective Decker."

She had to admit it was painful to watch his retreating back as if she'd never see him again.

 _If he looks back, I'll stop him from leaving._

And she waited until he got in the car and sped away.

 _Don't look back._

He told himself because if he did, he'd never leave. So he dragged his feet, clenched his fists harder in his pockets, told himself repeatedly that this is what he needed to do.

Lucifer turned on the ignition, shifted gears, and sped away, not even sparing a glance at his rearview mirror, in fear that he might see her tears even from afar.

* * *

 **A/N: Was inspired by that bts photo from the beach and thought that if this was the midseason finale, Lucifer would probably be on his toes in search for the Sinnerman. It was either him revealing the wings to Chloe, staying put and both of them helping each other find the sinnerman, or he'd leave her behind for her own safety and hunt the man down himself. So, yay, or nay? Thank you for read** ing!


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